PATHOGEN SURVEILLANCE IN MUSK TURTLES (STERNOTHERUS SP.) IN ALABAMA

The flattened musk turtle (Sternotherus depressus) is a stream-dwelling species that inhabits a small range in the Upper Black Warrior River water basin system in AL and is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The stripe-necked musk turtle (Sternotherus peltifer) has a broader range, surrounding and slightly overlapping that of the flattened musk turtle in the southeast United States, and is classified as least concern. Ongoing conservation efforts for flattened musk turtles have, thus far, been limited to population surveys; however, the conservation action plan for the species calls for health and infectious disease surveys. Flattened musk turtles (n = 35) and stripe-neck musk turtles (n = 4) in the Black Warrior River water basin system and the Coosa River water basin in AL were tested for frog virus 3 virus, Mycoplasmopsis spp., herpesviruses, and adenoviruses by using oral and cloacal swabs. All samples were negative for all pathogens, suggesting this is a naïve population, sampling occurred when individuals were not shedding nucleic acids, or the concentration of DNA was below the level of detection.